Narcissistic shooter's jail term appeal dismissed

AFTER SHOOTING his former wife in the face in front of their kids, he argued his jail term was unfair.

But Queensland Court of Appeal has now rejected former Rockhampton businessman John Jesse Stephens's appeal against his 15-year jail sentence.

In his appeal this month, Stephens, 46, argued a sentencing judge earlier this year did not properly recognise his cocktail of mental health and addiction issues that included narcissistic personality disorder.

But the state's highest court was not persuaded mental illness influenced Stephens when he carried out the August 2014 shooting in the Westfield Helensvale car park.

"No expert opinion suggested that his psychiatric illness played any part in the actions which constituted the offences,” Justice James Douglas wrote in a judgment published on Monday.

"It would be remarkable if there were such opinion, given the high degree of organisation involved in his conduct.”

Justice Douglas said the calculated shooting was a "horrific” crime with devastating consequences for Stephens's former wife and the children who witnessed the attack.

"It can only have been chance that the complainant survived the attack. She continues to suffer severely from the consequences.”

Chief Justice Catherine Holmes and Justice Robert Gotterson were also not convinced Stephens's mental health, alcohol and drug abuse issues absolved him of moral culpability for the shooting.